CHAPTER XVII
ENTER--NURSE ROSEMARY
Nurse Rosemary Gray had arrived at Gleneesh.
When she and her "box" were deposited on the platform of the littlewayside railway station, she felt she had indeed dropped from theclouds; leaving her own world, and her own identity, on somefar-distant planet.
A motor waited outside the station, and she had a momentary fear lestshe should receive deferential recognition from the chauffeur. But hewas as solid and stolid as any other portion of the car, and paid nomore attention to her than he did to her baggage. The one was a nurse;the other, a box, both common nouns, and merely articles to be conveyedto Gleneesh according to orders. So he looked straight before him,presenting a sphinx-like profile beneath the peak of his leather cap,while a slow and solemn porter helped Jane and her luggage into themotor. When she had rewarded the porter with threepence,conscientiously endeavouring to live down to her box, the chauffeurmoved foot and hand with the silent precision of a machine, they swunground into the open, and took the road for the hills.
Up into the fragrant heather and grey rocks; miles of moor and sky andsolitude. More than ever Jane felt as if she had dropped into anotherworld, and so small an incident as the omission of the usual respectfulsalute of a servant, gave her a delightful sense of success andsecurity in her new role.
She had often heard of Garth's old castle up in the North, aninheritance from his mother's family, but was hardly prepared for somuch picturesque beauty or such stateliness of archway and entrance. Asthey wound up the hillside and the grey turrets came into view, withpine woods behind and above, she seemed to hear Garth's boyish voiceunder the cedar at Overdene, with its ring of buoyant enjoyment,saying: "I should like you to see Castle Gleneesh. You would enjoy theview from the terrace; and the pine woods, and the moor." And then hehad laughingly declared his intention of getting up a "best party" ofhis own, with the duchess as chaperon; and she had promised to make oneof it. And now he, the owner of all this loveliness, was blind andhelpless; and she was entering the fair portals of Gleneesh, unknown tohim, unrecognised by any, as a nurse-secretary sort of person. Jane hadsaid at Overdene: "Yes, ask us, and see what happens." And now this washappening. What would happen next?
Garth's man, Simpson, received her at the door, and again a possibledanger was safely passed. He had entered Garth's service within thelast three years and evidently did not know her by sight.
Jane stood looking round the old hall, in the leisurely way of oneaccustomed to arrive for the first time as guest at the country homesof her friends; noting the quaint, large fireplace, and the shadowyantlers high up on the walls. Then she became aware that Simpson,already half-way up the wide oak staircase, was expecting the nurse tohurry after him. This she did, and was received at the top of thestaircase by old Margery. It did not require the lawn kerchief, theblack satin apron, and the lavender ribbons, for Jane to recogniseGarth's old Scotch nurse, housekeeper, and friend. One glance at thegrave, kindly face, wrinkled and rosy,--a beautiful combination ofperfect health and advancing years,--was enough. The shrewd, keen eyes,seeing quickly beneath the surface, were unmistakable. She conductedJane to her room, talking all the time in a kindly effort to set her ather ease, and to express a warm welcome with gentle dignity, notforgetting the cloud of sadness which hung over the house and renderedher presence necessary. She called her "Nurse Gray" at the conclusionof every sentence, with an upward inflection and pretty rolling of ther's, which charmed Jane. She longed to say: "You old dear! How I shallenjoy being in the house with you!" but remembered in time that aremark which would have been gratifying condescension on the part ofthe Honourable Jane Champion, would be little short of impertinentfamiliarity from Nurse Rosemary Gray. So she followed meekly into thepretty room prepared for her; admired the chintz; answered questionsabout her night journey; admitted that she would be very glad ofbreakfast, but still more of a bath if convenient.
And now bath and breakfast were both over, and Jane was standing besidethe window in her room, looking down at the wonderful view, and waitinguntil the local doctor should arrive and summon her to Garth's room.
She had put on the freshest-looking and most business-like of heruniforms, a blue print gown, linen collar and cuffs, and a white apronwith shoulder straps and large pockets. She also wore the becoming capbelonging to one of the institutions to which she had once been fortraining. She did not intend wearing this later on, but just thismorning she omitted no detail which could impress Dr. Mackenzie withher extremely professional appearance. She was painfully conscious thatthe severe simplicity of her dress tended rather to add to her height,notwithstanding her low-heeled ward shoes with their noiseless rubbersoles. She could but hope Deryck would prove right as to the view Dr.Mackenzie would take.
And then far away in the distance, along the white ribbon of road,winding up from the valley, she saw a high gig, trotting swiftly; oneman in it, and a small groom seated behind. Her hour had come.
Jane fell upon her knees, at the window, and prayed for strength,wisdom, and courage. She could realise absolutely nothing. She hadthought so much and so continuously, that all mental vision was out offocus and had become a blur. Even his dear face had faded and washidden from her when she frantically strove to recall it to her mentalview. Only the actual fact remained clear, that in a few short minutesshe would be taken to the room where he lay. She would see the face shehad not seen since they stood together at the chancel step--the facefrom which the glad confidence slowly faded, a horror of chilldisillusion taking its place.
"Anoint and cheer our soiled face With the abundance of Thy grace."
She would see that dear face, and he, sightless, would not see hers,but would be easily deluded into believing her to be some one else.
The gig had turned the last bend of the road, and passed out of sighton its way to the front of the house.
Jane rose and stood waiting. Suddenly she remembered two sentences ofher conversation with Deryck. She had said: "Shall I ever have thecourage to carry it through?" And Deryck had answered, earnestly: "Ifyou value your own eventual happiness and his, you will."
A tap came at her door. Jane walked across the room, and opened it.
Simpson stood on the threshold.
"Dr. Mackenzie is in the library, nurse," he said, "and wishes to seeyou there."
"Then, will you kindly take me to the library, Mr. Simpson," said NurseRosemary Gray.
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